The Basic, Minimal Offroad Checklist

The minimal list is the basics that you should always carry in your vehicle when offroad. These items are good to have in the vehicle at all times.

First Aid Kit (See Safety and Survival below)

Basic Personal Essentials (water, food)

Spare Tire, Full Size

Jack and tire iron to change your tire

Tow strap

Tree saver

Come-alongs

Basic Tool Kit

Spare Key for vehicle

Safety and Survival

The First Aid Kit

First aid kits come in many shapes and sizes. You can buy them, or you can make your own kit. Whether you buy a first aid kit or put one together, make sure it has all the items you may need. Include any personal items, such as medications.

Safety Items

Safety Glasses

Leather Gloves

Fire Extinguisher - Should be mounted in the vehicle in an easily accessible location.

Flares

Tarp

flashlights

matches / lighter

Basic Personal Essentials

Water - At least one Gallon per person, per day if not more. Drier, hotter climates may require more. Remember: Alcohol doesn't hydrate. In fact alcoholic beverages dehydrate since it take more water to metabolize alcohol than the beverage contains. Plus it may cause you to require the above mentioned First Aid Kit.

Food - Bring food for twice the amount of time you are planning on being gone. Should you be delayed and have to spend a night out on the trail, you wont have to worry about going hungry. Good ideas for trail food: trail mix, beef jerky, fruits, dry/canned food, etc.

Extra Cloths - Nobody likes to sit in wet cloths or an extended period of time.

Survival - Seasonal Specific

Winter

Summer

Sun Block

Insect repellant

Sunglasses

Beyond the Basic Offroad Checklist

What goes beyond the basic checklist are items that depend on many factors. Factors like what form of offroading you will be doing, your driving style, the terrain you will encounter, how much room you have for packing gear, how remote you will be traveling, how long you will be gone as well as many other factors you should consider. However three primary things you should gear up for are Safety and Survival, Vehicle Recovery and Vehicle Breakage.

Vehicle Recovery

Recovery Items

Hilift Jack

Tow straps - 2 or more, 2 inch width or wider, 20 foot or longer

Tree saver

Come-along (one or more)

D-rings, Shackles

Shovel

Chainsaw and bar oil, 2 stroke engine oil, spare chain (can be handy in recover situations, as well as for trail clearing on wooded trails)

Tools

Basic Tools

Basic tools are the versatile, essential tool sets that consist of a variety of sizes and combinations of commonly used tools such as socket sets, wrench sets, Allen wrenches, Torx sets and screw drivers. Your tool sets should cover the variety of sizes found in your vehicle. Regardless of whether your vehicle is American made or an import 4x4, when it comes to socket sets and wrenches, it's sometimes wise to carry standard and metric socket since sometimes there are a mix of both standard and metric on custom vehicles not to mention helping a fellow 4wheeler.

Complete Socket Set with SAE (standard) and Metric with 3/8" and 1/2" drives. Deep and standard sockets.

Crescent, open end combination box wrenches SAE (standard) and Metric

Allen Wrenches

Torx sockets (especially if you own a Jeep)

Standard & Phillips screwdrivers, large, medium, small

Versatile Tools

Versatile tools are those that have many uses.

Large Hammer (a.k.a. the "BFH")

Pliers (various sizes)

Needle Nose Pliers

Vice Grips, various sizes

Large channel-lock Pliers

Pipe wrenches - having 2 medium of these can be useful for tie-rods.

Utility knife or razor blades

Crescent wrenches (medium & large)

A BIG pry bar or length of strong metal pipe, inside diameter of pipe large enough to slip over a wrench or socket drive for extra leverage.